No lamentations..No mockery

National Assembly Election and the South East.
There is out there either  needless lamentation for the South East or  mockery because of the elections in the National Assembly yesterday.   The South East does not deserve and absolutely rejects both lamentation and mockery arising from the occupation of offices in the fourth series of the Fourth Republic.
Records in Nigeria show that while occupation of political office by sons of the soil is useful, it is often more symbolic than anything else. If it translated to regional prosperity, Northern Nigeria would by now be the top ranked in Nigeria. We all know that poverty and all the negative indices hold sway in the North despite holding office three times more than any region.
The South East chose with clear eyes its political leaning.  It should live with its choice. Life is a game. You win this round and lose the next. The call on the South East is to focus inwards and build on Its strengths. The call is for citizen engagement with the political and governance process at home to ensure better utilisation of the resources of the region. The call is to build the Human Capital of the region and benchmark against the global best. The call is to achieve poverty rates that are uniformly under 15% max. Ebonyi records poverty rate of 57%, similar to Northern states while the other states in the region  range from 12 to 27%.
Young people in the region should be thinking creativity and innovation. Build on STEM. Build our communities. Pay attention to the centre for your entitlements but build strength internally.
No lamentation. No mockery. The sun shall rise even brighter.

TRIBALISM WORSE THAN RACISM....The Nigerian case

 In just concluded World Tech Festival in Monastir Tunisia 🇹🇳, four Nigerian school boys have clinched the bronze medal. Namely: 
1) Ugwuishi Meshack Ogonna 
2) Chuka- Umeora Onyedika Anthony 
3) Nwachukwu Chukwualuka Daniel
4) Machi Chukwuagozie Dominic. 
They held off stiff and fierce competition from 40 other countries like Canada 🇨🇦, China 🇨🇳, South Korea 🇰🇷, Turkey 🇹🇷, Tunisia 🇹🇳, Bosnia 🇧🇦 Etc. The bronze boys achieved this feat with their device called “Adaptable Alternative Power Supply for Sub-Saharan Africa” I haven’t seen most Nigerians sharing and celebrating these remarkable feat by these kids. I don’t see many Nigerians telling the whole world they’re Igbos and listing their names. But they were busy to share and tell the world the other boys who robbed a store in UAE 🇦🇪, are Igbos. 
When Five girls from Regina Pacies Secondary School Onitsha, Amanbra state, who represented Nigeria and Africa at the World Technovation Challenge in the Silicon Valley in San Francisco, US won the Gold Medal in the contest last year. Majority of Nigerians didn’t share, celebrate or tell us they’re Igbos and listing their names as; 
 1) Promise Nnalue, 
 2) Jessica Osita, 
 3) Nwabuaku Ossai, 
 4)Adaeze Onuigbo 
 5) Vivian Okoye. 
The Golden girls won the Challenge with a mobile application called the FD-Detector which they developed to help tackle the Challenge of fake pharmaceutical products in Nigeria. 
When you tell the world that the five Nigerian UAE armed robbers are of Igbo extraction, also tell them that the five Silicon Valley world Technovation champions are also Igbos. Tell them the four Monastir 2019 African Science and Technology Competition Bronze medalists are also Igbos. Many acclaimed educated, religious, exposed, enlightened and conscious Nigerians are low key tribal bigots. No matter your  hate speech igbos are the best.
(copied)


https://www.agvictor.com/2019/04/03/anambra-students-win-bronze-at-world-tech-festival-in-tunisia/
Ref

IGBO DOMINATION?

Igbos are such a strange people in this world. Those who don’t understand them get many things mixed up about them. The only people apart from their neighbors here in Africa whose culture is similar to theirs and who seem to understand and like them are the Jews because they are the only ones that share similar life style with the Igbos of Africa. Someone might want to ask why am I writing about the Igbo as if I am Igbo myself. No I am not Igbo, I am Ijaw. My ethnic group share borders with Igbos on many fronts and we share a lot in common together in terms of culture and a few words in languages but that’s not what gave me the right to write about them. I studied in a federal university at the heart of Igboland for five years. Most of my friends in school were Igbos and I lived outside school in an Igbo community with local Igbos. Igbos are culturally business people, they survive by buying and selling. They believe that success comes from constant monetary exchange so they live that way and develop a system of training the younger generation from taking over from them through their mastership and apprenticeship system. They are also very passionate people. They put their all into whatever they do. They put all their eggs in one basket until they have success in that quest. Igbos don’t give a little chance to evil to mature and grow into something that cannot be controlled. This is the reason those who planned the first coup and only revolution in Nigeria were mostly Igbos. A single individual Igbo might be very good at telling lies but the Igbo community eschewed lies. The reason individuals tell lies in Igboland is because of their business culture. Most business men are not sincere or else they won’t make much gain that’s why Ijaws rarely do petty business and succeed because we don’t know how to differentiate business life from real life and so we relax too much and feel so reluctant in business but that’s not the Igbo. An Igbo would rather cheat you in business instead of to have losses, his boss that trained him taught him so. Because most Igbo individuals are business people and may sometimes want to bring business life of insincerity into societal life, the Igbo community has more checks on the human excesses in the society than any other society I am aware of. An average Igbo detest insincere life in the society. They can ignore insincerity in business but not in the community because they understand that business is for gain while the society is for life and love for without love life will be lost. An Igbo man is an independent man. They don’t like to take what is not theirs so they work very hard to get their own. The Igbo society hates oppression so if you can prove how an Igbo has oppressed or is oppressing you or a group of people to the Igbo society, that person becomes an enemy of the whole Igbo community. If such person is an Igbo, he will be excommunicated and treated with disdain but if he is not he will be resisted whether those he is oppressing are Igbos or not. Most of these qualities of the Igbo can be found in most other ethnic nations in Biafra but the difference is that none of them have the business culture of the Igbo society. That business culture is what makes the neighbors of the Igbo to find it hard to understand them nor trust them. Igbos are a very focused people, they hate distractions and they don’t tolerate it because they believe time is money. If an average Igbo see you as a distraction he will ignore you no matter how much he loved you and move forward. If you disagree with his ideology he will do everything to kick you out of his way and only come back to listen to what you have to say after he has succeeded. So if you don’t understand him you will think he ignored you because he doesn’t care, no he did because he hates wasting time. This attitude is what has caused the most trouble among the Igbos and their neighbors in Biafra. While Ijaws, Ibibios, Urhobos, Efiks, Ogonis etc want to be heard the Igbo wants results. It’s easier for Ijaws to gather other tribes in Biafra like we have done over time in the struggle for freedom of the coast otherwise called Niger delta struggle. Ijaws don’t care giving the whole year listening to what others have a say on a matter but Igbo is an impatient tribe. This is why I marvel that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu never rushed into arm struggle and is patiently waiting and taking time to convince every single individual in Biafra to understand the Biafran cause. I see in him the speed of the Igbo, the patience of Ijaw and the maturity to sustain a struggle without gain which is only found outside Africa. Most Africans have lazy minds, sorry I must tell the truth. By lazy minds I mean they don’t think hard enough and they don’t have the patience to sustain a good ideology and maintain it over time irrespective of the temptations. Nnamdi Kanu is different. This is why you see most people falling out of the struggle and entertaining new ideologies, some for gain and many can’t just remain in the ideology they believe in. Now back to the Igbo. An Igbo is fulfilled when he is on his own (independence) and you are on your own and everyone is happy. He doesn’t enjoy fighting to keep you in bondage under him except you let him. He can only fight you with all his life when you attempt to deny him his right or try to oppress him. So the fear of Igbo dominating others are not real only except the structures are not well placed. It is normal for every large tribe to dominate in a unitary system where everyone pretend to be one when they’re not. This is why a unitary system won’t work in Biafra but a confederation. Only a confederation will work because like the Igbo all Biafrans love their independence and that’s why Nnamdi Kanu has proposed to have a government system that promotes individual nation independence and collective alliance to form a central government United in military and foreign affairs. This system is the only system that can work in Biafra and the resistance that has caused the strife now and during the Nigeria Biafra war was because BIAFRA was operating a unitary system that made other nations felt like the central government was all about Igbo and they were subjects. They resisted being subjects to their brothers, became loyal to the invaders because they thought if the invaders frees them from their brothers they all can then stand as equals in the supposed Nigerian union not knowing that the invaders see things from a different angle. At the end, the invaders proved that they all were grouped to be conquered. So helping them conquer your strong brother because you felt oppressed was the worse that happened to the coastal Biafran nations. Igbos don’t have a history of oppression because they don’t have it in them to oppress. They believe all men are equal and deserves the right to be on his own. This is why Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has proposed to have one of the best systems in the world, a little advancement of what our forefathers practiced before Britain came. What I expect from other Biafran nations is to insist that Biafra is exactly the way Mazi Nnamdi Kanu envisions it to be because what we all need right now is ourselves. We need the Igbo, Ijaw, Ogoni, Ibibio, Urhobo, Efik, Igede etc to be able to survive and break free from the oppression of Nigeria. Some Igbos and most people from the coast wants Igbo to fight alone and for Igbo territories alone so after they become independent they can then bring others on board. I laugh, I pity my brothers in the coast. If now when Igbo is here it is difficult to break free is it when you have become tinier and more easy to crush that the blood thirsty oppressors will then let you go? If at all the Igbo succeed in saving you it will take them much more than it would take them to free you now because at that time it’s now interfering into other nation’s sovereignty. Same reason it’s not so easy for Israel to just jump in to help BIAFRA now. Certain diplomatic arrangements has to be done. On the other hand, Nigeria wouldn’t want to let go their only source of livelihood, the oil in your land. So the next time you resist BIAFRA think over it again.

THE IGBOS IN NIGERIA....We hate poverty of any sort

👉I really don't understand Nigeria; you hate Igbos so much, but give them their own country so that they can leave you alone. No way.

👉Give them regional autonomy so that they can manage their own resources and develop their own land with those resources. No way.

👉Okay, open seaports and international airports so they can bring in goods and travel for business as they are business inclined. No way.

👉Okay, give them good road networks and power supply so that they can do business within their region. No way.

👉You want them to remain chained to a poverty inclined country that they didn't create, that they didn't chose to belong to, where their resources are stolen and used everywhere but their own region, and expect them to be happy with such arrangement? You go to the point of murdering those who want to ask you for a referendum to democratically chose their fate.

👉Then those Igbos who are happy with this arrangement....what is wrong with you? Am sorry, it's a valid question, what is actually your problem?

👉There is nothing more fundamental than a desire to be free, there is nothing more fundamental than a desire for prosperity. Nigeria gives the Igboman neither....so what reason should any Igboman want to be tied to a country like Nigeria. When he knows that his true country, Biafra, the country that existed before the British came, is there waiting to be actualised?

👉We have to change our thoughts, this cannot go on, we cannot continue this way, and we will not continue this way.

By Ukonu Obasi

IGBO TRADERS BEATEN UP IN LAGOS FOR VOTING PDP

Hundred of social miscreants, popularly known as ‘Area Boys’ have attacked Igbo traders on Lagos Island for not voting for President Muhammadu Buhari in the last Saturday election.

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The miscreants, who were armed with dangerous weapons like cutlasses, broken bottles, wood and knives struck at about 9.am at Oluwole, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tinubu, Bamgbose and Alli Streets.

Some Igbo traders who were just opening their respectful shops for business were beaten with the instruction that all their shops should remain locked.

Armed hoodlums were seen parading the Streets, shouting “Igbo should go back to their States to do business. This is Lagos.”

“We campaign for them to vote for Buhari, but they refused and voted for Atiku. They cannot come here to do business again. They must follow us to vote whoever we ask them to vote for. This is just a sample for them, if they ever vote for PDP again, that will be their end”, the hoodlums threatened,” the hoodlums were heared chorusing.

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This threats made the Igbo traders to quickly close their respectful shops and stood nearby to witness what was going to happen to their shops.

Some Yoruba men in the areas were also seen challenging the hoodlums not to cause problem because the Igbos have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice.

Chris Onyekachi, President, Amalgamated Computer Stationery and Allied Trader Association of Nigeria, said he got a call this morning that hoodlums had attacked Igbo traders on Lagos Island because they voted for Atiku Abubakar.

He said the hoodlums locked their shops and destroyed goods worth millions of naira and even beat up some Igbo traders for daring to vote for Atiku.

Onyekachi condemned the act, describing it as lawlessness, saying that it was a breach of their fundamental human rights as they had the right to live anywhere and vote for whom they chose to vote for.

He added that the arrival of the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in the area saved the day as the police restored nomalcy.

Also, policemen were drafted to the areas on the order of the Area ‘A’ Commander, Bode Ojajuni who was informed about the situation.


As at the time of this report, Police vehicles ere seen patrolling the areas, but the Igbo traders still gathered nearby and refused to open shops for the fear of another attack.

THE EKWUEME SQUARE DECLARATION 2018

RESTRUCTURING THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION:
THE POSITION OF NDI IGBO.

Adopted at the Igbo Summit organized by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, 21st May, 2018, at Ekwueme Square, Awka

THE EKWUEME SQUARE DECLARATION 2018

Preamble
The Nigerian project is at a crossroads. It does not command universal acceptance at home and it is much diminished abroad. For some sections of the population, the promise of Nigeria: peace and unity, faith and progress are becoming broken dreams. The capacity and objectivity of the Nigerian state, its leadership, critical institutions and agencies are questioned by many. On the global stage, Nigeria is rapidly fading from any serious reckoning. It cannot secure and fend for its citizens at home; neither can it project power to protect its citizens abroad. Despite its abundant potential and promise, most Nigerians agree that Nigeria as currently structured and governed is not sustainable.

In the run up to Nigeria’s independence and after independence (in the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions), our founding fathers like The Rt. Hon. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and their compatriots from all the then Southern and Northern minority ethnic groups, negotiated and gave us truly federal constitutions which embodied the basic principles of federalism, namely, autonomy of the federating regions, fiscal federalism, devolution of powers, citizenship/indigeneship rights, etc. Under these constitutions, freely negotiated by the Nigerian people, there was a consensus that a truly federal structure was the best for a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious society such as Nigeria; to guarantee justice, fairness, equity, freedom, liberty as well as a balanced and competitive political and economic structure to give every citizen and section of the country a framework to maximize their God-given potential.

The present 1999 Constitution foisted by the military regime (falsely dubbed a federal constitution) unhinged all the structures of true federalism and bequeathed a de facto unitary system with concentration of powers and resources at the centre. With the choking unitary system and all its dysfunctionality for a diverse country, Nigeria has remained relatively unstable, oscillating unpredictably between the flickers of hope and despair.
Most Nigerians agree that this system cannot survive and endure for much longer. The genius, Albert Einstein, said that the definition of insanity is to repeat the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome. For several years, many organized groups, intellectuals, statesmen and women have persistently called for a re-examination of the structure of the federation, to make it work for all Nigerians. It started first as calls for a sovereign national conference. In recent times, the calls have become even more strident and desperate: the Yoruba nation has held a rally at Ibadan in September 2017 and published its agenda for restructuring Nigeria; the South-South geopolitical zone held its own summit in Yenagoa in March 2018 and endorsed its template for restructuring; the All Progressives Congress (APC) set up a Committee on restructuring and its recommendations are public knowledge; the 19 states of the former Northern Region have also set up their own committee on restructuring and its report is expected; the Middle Belt zone is scheduled to hold its own summit on restructuring, while several political parties have made ‘true federalism’ the centre piece of their manifestos for a better Nigeria. At no time in Nigeria’s recent history has there been broader support for restructuring the federation than now.
For the estimated 57 million Igbos scattered in all villages, towns and cities of Nigeria as well as around the world, the demand for a restructured Nigeria that guarantees security of life and property, freedom and liberty, equity, justice and development, has a unique significance. No other ethnic group has a greater stake in the Nigerian project than Ndi Igbo by virtue of tens of millions of Ndi Igbo who live and invest everywhere in Nigeria outside Igboland. But they are also victims at every turn: every now and again, threats to their lives and properties as well as brazen discrimination and marginalization in critical areas underscore their general treatment as unequal citizens of Nigeria. Consequently, there is a segment of Igbo society that has lost hope in the Nigerian dream; believes that Nigeria will never work for the Igbos and hence agitate for an exit from the union. But a preponderance of views among Igbos is that a restructured Nigeria that works for all remains the best option.

The Agenda presented here distils from accumulated years of work on the subject by successive regimes of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, various Igbo think-tanks especially the submissions of the Igbo Leaders of Thought for the 2014 National Conference; various Igbo positions for the 1994 Constitutional conference and 2005 and 2014 national conferences; the report of the Committee set up by South East Governors on the review of the 1999 Constitution; the report of the World Igbo Summit by the Igbo Renaissance Centre, Uturu; various submissions/reports by Aka Ikenga; Izu Umunna; Nzuko Umunna; the Igbo intelligentsia; the World Igbo Congress; reports of various meetings and conferences of Igbo stakeholders and leaders; etc. The Ohanaeze Planning and Strategy Committee and the Organizing Committee for the Summit on restructuring also embarked on town hall -style consultative meetings in Abuja, Lagos, and Enugu to collate inputs from major segments of Igbo society. Memoranda and inputs were also received from over 40 pan-Igbo groups, NGOs, and individuals. A draft was presented and debated at the National Executive Committee and the Imeobi of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
What is presented is a summary, and the issues remain work in progress. The position of Ndi Igbo is to seek a transformed Nigeria that works for every Nigerian citizen, a level playing field for all Nigerians to enjoy freedom, liberty, fairness, equity and justice to maximize their fullest potential. Ndi Igbo are uniquely positioned, by virtue of their huge stake in Nigeria, to join hands with every willing party to champion a pan-Nigeria agenda. We do not seek any preferential or differential treatment from Nigeria. Ndi Igbo want a Nigeria that works—to maximize their security, prosperity, and happiness. Igbos also want a Nigeria that allows every part of Nigeria the latitude and opportunity to develop at their own pace. We want a national conversation to create a new and better Nigeria for all Nigerians. The outline below seeks to achieve this objective..
Section 1: A New Constitution of Nigeria.

We demand a constitutional conference, backed by a law enacted by the National Assembly, where the people of Nigeria will agree on a new, truly federal Constitution. A Constituent Assembly should be constituted to agree on a new Constitution for a new Nigeria. Such a Constitution—the People’s Constitution-- should be approved by the people of Nigeria through a referendum to give it legitimacy and validity. Thereafter, the National Assembly should repeal Act 24 of 1999 (of which the 1999 Constitution is only a Schedule), thereby effectively voiding the 1999 Constitution.
Section 2: Form of Government
a) The presidential system of government should continue to operate at the federal level, with a bicameral legislature. The Regions or States have to determine the type of government to operate at that level as enshrined in their respective constitutions (whether parliamentary or separate Executive and legislative organs). It would be desirable however for the same form of government be adopted at the regional levels for comparability and ease in transaction of government business in the federation.

b) The tenure of office of the President will be a single term of six years. There will be five Vice-Presidents, one from each of the geopolitical zones or regions except the region/zone of the president), and each also to serve for a fixed term of six years. Each of the Vice-Presidents will be assigned supervisory responsibility over two or more ministries such as Defence, Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Infrastructure/Works, etc. This is to give every zone/region a sense of belonging and a strong voice in major decision making. The office of President will rotate among the six regions/zones of Nigeria.

c) The Governor and Deputy Governor of the Region/State should have a single term of six years only. The office of Governor will rotate among the senatorial districts, or among such other configurations as may be enshrined in the Constitution of a Region/State.
Section 3: Federating Units and Structure of the Nigerian State
a. Nigeria will remain a federation with the existing six geopolitical zones forming the federating units or six regions of the country. There will therefore be six regional governments, each comprising the current states within each zone and any other state(s) that may be created within the zone from time to time.

b. Each Region will have its own Constitution, for the good governance, peace and development of the region. Such Regional Constitutions have to clearly delineate levels of authority between the regional government and the component states (that is, defining powers that are exclusive to the Region and powers that are residual to the states). The Regional Constitutions will not be inconsistent with the Constitution of the federation, and will be invalidated to the extent of its inconsistency with the federal constitution.

c. If the national consensus is that the states as currently constituted remain the federating units, the existing six geopolitical zones will be enshrined in the constitution as the basis for sharing national political, economic and social amenities, offices and opportunities in an equitable manner among the zones.

d. In such a situation as in (c) above, Ndi Igbo demand that Nigeria give effect to the recommendation of the 2014 National Conference which states that “in the spirit of reconciliation, equity, fair play, and justice, there shall be created an additional state for the South East Zone; and all other requests for state creation shall be considered on merit”. One additional state in the South East should be the irreducible minimum.

e. But if States remain the basis for sharing resources and opportunities in Nigeria, Ndi Igbo demand an equal number of states per geopolitical zone or region.

f. Local Governments should be scrapped from the Constitution of the Federation. Local Government should be in the Exclusive list of the Regional/State Constitutions.

g. If States remain the federating units and some states wish to merge to be viable in the absence of distributable resources from the centre, they may do so provided that :
(i) A two-thirds majority of members of the Houses of Assembly of each of the affected states support the merger by a resolution, and;
(ii) A referendum is conducted in each of the states proposing to merge, and 60% of registered voters in the States who vote are required to approve the merger.

h. Any group of people or communities that wish to belong to a contiguous zone other than the zone in which they currently belong, may do so provided that 60% of registered voters who voted in the affected area approve the merger in a referendum.

Section 4: Equality of Regions or Geo-Political Zones
Whether the Regions or States become the federating units, and whether or not equal numbers of states are created in each zone, Ndi Igbo demand that equality of the six geopolitical zones should be enshrined in the Constitution. Politically, representation at the federal cabinet as well as the twin chambers of the federal legislature should be based on equality of zones/regions. Furthermore, sharing of revenues, distribution of infrastructure by the federal government, and federal character principle will be applied on the basis of equality of zones.
Section 5: Citizenship/Indigeneship Rights:
a) Nigerian citizenship is acquired through the criteria for citizenship as provided in the Nigerian Constitution.

b) The concept of State of Origin should be scrapped from the Constitution of the Federation, and replaced with State of Residence.

c) As an alternative to (b ) above, minimum residency and civic rights and responsibilities should include the following two conditions:

1) Any child born of Nigerian parents anywhere in Nigeria will acquire the indigeneship (residency) rights of the area at birth.

2) Similarly, any Nigerian citizen who has resided in any part of Nigeria and paid taxes there for a period of ten years can acquire the indigeneship (residency) rights of the area, except for the right to their traditional stool.



Section 6: Internal Security:
a) There should be a two or three-tier police structure with defined responsibilities as follows: a Police Force for the Federation and controlled by the Federal Government, and the Regional/State Constitutions to establish separate Police Forces for each region and each state.

b) The Police Force at every level will be headed by a non-partisan professional. The power to appointment and remove such a head of police will be vested in an independent body.

Section 7: Sharing of Financial Resources:Fiscal Federalism
a) Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution is a negation of the principle of federalism. It should be abrogated. In its place, a truly federal system that gives control of resources to the component units and replaces the current system of unconditional transfers with conditional transfers from the centre as follows:

b) The states will have control over all the natural resources within their territory. Fiscal federalism presupposes the revocation of the Land Use Act of 1978, the Solid Minerals Act, as well as the various Petroleum/Gas Acts and amendments since 1969. The right of ownership, control and exploitation of these and other assets should be returned to the states and/ or federating units.

c) The taxation powers of the various tiers of government should be reviewed to give the federating units greater flexibility and scope to generate revenue internally.

d) States within the federating units should collect and keep 50% of rents, royalties and profit taxes on minerals derived from their states; pay 20% to the regional government, and 30% to the federal government; provided that each tier of government will save at least 5% of the receipts from natural/mineral resources as Future Generation Fund.

e) The Federal Government should set aside 40% of revenue collected from the states/regions as a Distributable Pool Account (DPA). The balance of 60% plus 60% of its own independent revenues such as customs duties, federal VAT, federal income tax, etc. will be deployed to its diminished responsibilities. The sharing of DPA should be equitable and should replace the present unconditional revenue allocation to the states and local governments. Among other things, the DPA should be deployed to the following:
i) Emergency transfers from the DPA made only to distressed states/zones consequent upon natural and environmental emergencies, such as, floods, erosion, earthquakes, desert encroachment, man–made disasters - conflicts insurgency and war.
ii) Distributable Capital Account (DCA) – The balance in the DPA would serve as distributable capital (DCA) from which conditional grants are made to the federating units for capital projects only, on the basis of accountability subject to project- performance monitoring. The DCA would replace the current unconditional monthly allocation, and operate almost as matching grants.

f) The states within a region should collectively decide what percentage of their consolidated revenue they will allocate to the regional government for its operations provided that such contributions will not be less than 10 per cent of the respective states’ gross revenue.



Section 8: Merit and Federal Character Principle
a) Nigeria must maintain an appropriate balance between merit and affirmative action in the conduct of national and regional/state affairs, and the distribution of appointments, amenities, opportunities and privileges among constituent parts. For example, while 60% should be reserved for merit, 40% could be reserved to ensure federal character principle or affirmative action.

b) We recommend that the Federal Character Commission be replaced with Merit and Equal Opportunities Commission.

Section 9: Elections

a) Elections into the office of the President and federal legislature will be conducted by the electoral body of the Federal Government. Elections into regional/state offices will be conducted by electoral bodies set up by the regional/state Constitutions or laws.

b) It is believed that the current system of simple Plurality System (with a simple relative majority as winner) encourages minority governments and is considered out of date. We hereby propose a majoritarian system whereby a winner must score at least 50% of the votes cast to win an election.

c) Independent candidates serve as a form of protest to political parties and should be allowed in the electoral system provided that such candidates meet the minimum criteria to be on the ballot.

Section 10: Judiciary
a) Each federating unit will have its judicial system with courts of first instance, appellate court and Supreme courts to adjudicate on matters that are in the concurrent and residual lists as well as matters exclusively preserved for the federating units.

b) Where the states are the federating units, there will be state high courts, and zonal/regional court of appeal and zonal/regional Supreme Court on matters pertaining to the states and zones/regions.

c) It is the states or regional courts and their appellate courts that will have jurisdiction over electoral matters in their respective states or regions except matters pertaining to the presidential election or federal elections.

d) There shall also be the federal high court, federal appeal court and federal supreme court--- to deal with matters on the exclusive list of the Constitution, as well as constitutional matters or conflicts between the federating units and the federal government.





ANNEX A: DEVOLUTION OF POWER:


a) The long list of items on the Exclusive List of the 1999 Constitution should be considerably reduced to the basics required of the central government in a federation including but not limited to: defence, immigration, currency and monetary policy, customs and excise, foreign affairs.

b) Under the 1999 Constitution, the Federal Government controls both the Exclusive and Concurrent lists in the Constitution because federal legislations on matters in the concurrent list supersede the state legislations. It is proposed that on matters on the concurrent legislative list, the Federal Government should be concerned with regulation to ensure minimum national standards, and leave the regions/states to be innovative and competitive in the design of their policies, programmes and regulations relating to such concurrent items.
c) Where conflicts arise between the federal and regional/state legislation with regard to matters on the concurrent list, such conflicts will be resolved through ‘mutual consent’.

Federal Exclusive Legislative List
Items

Accounts of the Government of the Federation and officers, courts and authorities thereof, including audit of those accounts.

Archives, other than the public records of the Governments of the Regions or States

Aviation standards

Bills of exchange and promissory notes.

Borrowing of monies outside Nigeria for the purposes of the Federal Government or of any Region, other than borrowing by the Government of a Region/state on the security of any funds or assets of that government held outside Nigeria or borrowing that is not the liability of the Federation

Borrowing of monies within Nigeria for the purposes of the Federal Government.
Currency, coinage and legal tender.

Customs and excise duties, including export duties.
Defence.

Deportation of persons who are not citizens of Nigeria.

Exchange control.

External affairs.

Extradition.

Prescription of minimum standards of education at all levels.

Immigration into and emigration from Nigeria.

Legal proceedings between the Government of the Federation and any other person or authority or between the Governments of Zones or States.

Prescription of standards with respect to maritime shipping and navigation, including:

Shipping and navigation of tidal water

Shipping and navigation on the River Niger and its effluents and on any such other inland waterway as may be declared by the National Assembly to be an international waterway or to be an inter-Regional waterway;

Lighthouse, lightships, beacons and other provisions for the safety of shipping and navigation;

Such ports as may be declared by the National Assembly to be Federal ports (including the constitution and powers of port authorities for federal ports), provided that where such ports belong to the regions/states, the declaration as a federal port willl be with the consent of the region/state.

Meteorology

Museums established by the Federal Government

Naval, military and air forces.

Nuclear energy.

Passports and visas.

Patent, trade mark, designs and merchandise marks.

Pensions, gratuities and other like benefits payable out of the Consolidated

Revenue Funds or any other public funds of the Federation or federal government?.

Posts, telegraphs and telephones, including post office savings banks.

Powers, privileges and immunities of each House of the National Assembly and its members.

The public debt of the Federal Government.

Public relations of the Federation.

The public service of the Federation, including the settlement of disputes between the Federation and officers in the public service of the Federation.

Tribunals of enquiry with respect to all or any of the matters mentioned in this list

Trunk roads, that is to say, the construction, alteration and maintenance of such roads as may be declared as federal trunk roads.

Water from such sources as may be declared by the National Assembly to be source affecting more than one territory.

Weights and measures.

Wireless, broadcasting and television other than broadcasting and television provided by the Government of Regions or States; allocation of wavelengths for wireless, broadcasting and television transmission.

The matters with respect to which the National Assembly is empowered to make laws by provisions of this Constitution.
Any matter that is incidental or supplementary:
To any matter mentioned elsewhere in this list; or

To the discharge by the Government of the Federation or any officer, court or authority of the Federation of any function conferred by this Constitution.
8.
The Concurrent Legislative List
Items:

Antiquities.

Arms and ammunition.

Bankruptcy and insolvency.

Census.

Chemical Services, including analytical services.

Commercial and industrial monopolies, combines and trusts.

Control of capital issues.

Control of the voluntary movement of persons between territories.

Copyright.

Such drugs and poisons as may with the consent of the governments of the Zones or States be designated by the President by order.

Fingerprints, identification and criminal records.
Higher education, that is to say, institutions and other bodies offering courses or conducting examinations of a university, technological or of a professional character.

Incorporation, regulation and winding up of bodies corporate, other than cooperative societies, native authorities, local government authorities and bodies corporate established directly by any law enacted by the legislature of a Region or State.

Insurance other than insurance undertaken by the Government of a Zone or State but including any insurance undertaken by the Government of a Zone that extends beyond the units of that Zone.

Industrial Development

Labour, that is to say, conditions of labour, industrial relations, trade unions and welfare of labour.

9.
The legal and medical professions and such other professional occupations as may with the consent of the governments of the Zones be designated by the President by order.

All marriages, customary, statutory.

National monuments, that is to say, such monuments in a Zone as may with the consent of the Government of that Zone be designated by the President by order as national monuments.

National parks, that is to say, the control of such areas in a Zone as may with the consent of the Government of that Zone be designated by the President by order as national parks.

Prisons and other institutions for the treatment of offenders.

Promotion of tourist traffic.

Railways, including ancillary transport and other services

Taxes on amounts paid or payable or the sale or purchase of commodities except: produce; hides and skins; motor spirit; automotive gas oil sold or purchased for use in road vehicles; AGO sold or purchased for other than industrial purposes.

The maintaining and securing of public safety and public order; the providing, maintaining and securing of such supplies and services as may be designated by the President by order as essential supplies and services.
Quarantine

Registration of business names.

Scientific and industrial research.
10.
Service and execution in a Zone of the civil and criminal processes, judgments, decrees, order and other decisions of any court of law outside Nigeria or any court of law in Nigeria other than the Supreme Court, the High Court of that Zone or State or any court of law established by the legislature of that Zone or State.

Statistics.

Traffic on Federal trunk road

Tribunals of enquiry with respect to all or any of the matters mentioned elsewhere in this list.

Trigonometrical, cadastral and topographical surveys.

Water; Energy; Electricity.

The matters with respect to which National Assembly is empowered to make provision

Any matter that is incidental or supplementary to any matter mentioned elsewhere in this list.

On Monday, May 21, 2018

BENUE....What goes around......

(COPIED)

To the Benue people: 

No time is too late to congratulate you regarding the epic events in your state. If not because of the life involved, I would have said let the killings continue in Benue state because it is good for them. Where is your Paul Unongo? Is he tired of leading the Northern forum with his unguided mouth against the Igbos? Maybe he doesn't know that "Food is Ready" is not for free. The real restructuring of Nigeria would have happened in 1967 after the Aburi dialogue in Ghana spearheaded by Ojukwu but Gowon manipulated and used Benue extracts like Onoja's family who not only stopped the move but killed many Igbos. They claimed to be more North than the caliphate, they said they are one indivisible North. Not long ago Paul Unongo and other Benue indigenes said IPOB is a terrorist group that deserved no mercy. They insulted Igbos and claimed Igbos are the problem of Nigeria. Now the music is steadily at their doorstep. They should stop complaining, stop disturbing other states, don't demonstrate because demonstration is terrorism too. They should just dance their music.

They thought that only the Igbos will forever suffer the injustice. The same people attacking Igbos for wanting to separate from cow lovers are now begging to secede from North to South. That Enugu is close to Benue doesn't make them a Southern state. Benue should enjoy their North alone,we don't need them in the South anymore because they are now a conquered Fulani territory, a hard truth that people will never believe but a mission accomplished by the Fulanis. The very mission the Fulanis couldn't reach after conquering Kwara and moved to Benue but resisted and denied such opportunity by the powerful Tivs. They are about to accomplish that mission in the 21st century. Yes, Tivs are powerful and strong people when it comes to war. They chased Fulanis after conquering Kwara and eventually met British colonialism and it stopped. But for the fact that a Fulani man is a memory man, the case of Benue state today is not just all about Cow but a Fulani agenda, the agenda they failed to fulfill long time ago.

Not considering the above history,Benue state indigenes in 2015 still gave a die hard sectional Fulani man a massive support of 373,961 votes. And you expect the Fulani man to go against their collective agenda. You are wasting your time. When we fail to read history, we repeat history. Benue state people failed to read history and they repeated history. So,how does that concern Modestus? To people of Benue,I say congratulations again. You can only enjoy it because it is part of what your one Nigeria you asked for represents. Whatever goes around comes around. Yesterday  the victims were Igbos you clapped and cheered the killers. Today is your turn and no reasonable Igbo will sympathise with you because PUBLIC SIN DEMANDS PUBLIC PENANCE and until those Christians in the middle belt understand that they are not the original owners of North the massacre will continue and flimsy excuses will always be given.The matter will still end without arrest and punishment. Call me an Igbo extremist, well that's my name because not only that extreme actions demand extreme response, an objective mad man is also better than an educated lunatic.

To other Nigerians I  heard that Herdsmen are new colonial Masters in Nigeria and they need colonies with their AK47s? And some people are supporting the idea of giving them colonies for peace to reign. Pls which peace are we talking about here? A group that goes around with AK47 and other dangerous weapons and can kill at will without being arrested is the group you are advocating to be pinned down in your backyard? Go back and study Fulani history. Firstly they are polygamous in nature. With the aid of their polygamy they can give birth to a state within a year and they love conquest. Once they install an Emir in that your village land they will not only lay claim to the land given to them for animal rearing but the entire village and from a  village to an entire state. They are heartless they can finish your entire village within 2 hours.The Fulanis really want to actualize their long term plans publicly said by Ahmadu Bello in 1960.The establishment of Cattle colonies is a master plan.Those who proposed this cow colonies are supposedly people in government who want to use their office not only to benefit their business but to plant Fulanis among every tribe in Nigeria in a bid to recolonize the primitive tribes of Nigeria. So they pretend as officials that they are helpless before the herdsmen, allowing them to cause havoc at will without a single consequence. They just want the victims to be afraid of the herdsmen and accept any proposal by the government. Before the cow colonies they proposed a similar nonsense which is now unpopular. That's the reason Buhari is constructing a railway to Niger Republic to bring more Fulanis to Nigeria to complete Usman Dan Fodio's Fulani colonization mission. Everybody will live and remember Nnamdi Kanu.

Do you still need further investigations to know where those agents of  death get their weapons from? This is the new Nigeria this is change. Things have changed. Social Scientists know that when transcendental forces like herdsmen operate incessantly a new order is in the horizon. A man who repeats an action is asserting a right to that action.The unjustifiable silence of Buhari is acceptance because in law silence is acceptance. So, lamentation will never save anyone.

People should stop making themselves objects of sympathy by appealing for pity. Being a Christian doesn't make you a Coward and prey to Fulanis. Fighting your enemies does not make you a sinner. Sadly but truly the world is a place of war, sorrow, tears, bloodshed, pains and injustice. No one will come to your rescue not even this Fulani government. That's why we need to guard ourselves, defend ourselves, fight the oppressors. The assailants understand this better than the oppressed and won't allow the oppressed to go until the oppressed stand up and demand for freedom. Stop being defenseless and fight for yourselves and that of posterity. Nnamdi KANU said it but some people insulted him. Thank God for the reality today. All the government does is to preach their rhetoric "peaceful coexistence". Modestus is telling you today that there is nothing like peaceful coexistence or it only exists in the book. Don't be fooled because they won't ensure justice. If  there is peaceful coexistence let them walk without bodyguards. Dear Christians, if we so much believe in being the descendants of Abraham, we should also be as brave as he was. Read your Bible very well, all great men of the old testament led and fought very well for their people.You can only ask God for his grace to overcome. God can only fight your spiritual battles and give you strength to fight your physical battle.Stop all these fasting and praying and rise up, Fulanis are gradually reducing your population and taking your land. I talk reality, I  hate pretense because I hate deceiving myself. Neglect me to your own peril.

THINK ABOUT IT

By Modestus Iyke